After three years serving as the Downtown Development Commission’s Promotions Director, Steven Leyh will step up as the organization’s Executive Director. He will also be responsible for managing Cumberland’s Main Street Program.

The Downtown Development Commission, which maintains and actively works to promote economic growth of the downtown business district, announced Leyh’s promotion on September 14, following a DDC board meeting.

“I’m just incredibly honored,” Leyh said. Since he started working for the commission in 2014, Leyh has helped promote Cumberland and brought national touring bands and new energy to attract outside attention to the city.

“Downtown Cumberland is starting to get noticed. We’ve been focused on getting the word out about Cumberland as the next cool mountain town. Our historic city center has an urban charm with its incredible architecture, loft living, art galleries and coffee shops; yet we are surrounded by beautiful mountains and vast public lands overflowing with outdoor recreational opportunities, said Leyh.”

In recent years, the Downtown Development Commission has been responsible for numerous improvements including: downtown district branding, new light post banners, redeveloping the Centre Street Parklet, installing new wayfinding signage and maps, new welcome murals, additional access to free parking and numerous major downtown events including the popular summer concert series.

“The DDC Board was unanimous in the decision to promote Steve to this new and expanded position. He has been a very strong part of the DDC’s efforts to showcase our downtown to both tourists and businesses. We look forward to a very busy and productive year, said Sandi Saville, DDC Chair.”

For its 2017-18 season, Frostburg State University’s Department of Theatre and Dance will once again present something for everyone in an exciting season of drama, comedy, music and dance featuring the exceptional performance skills of FSU’s students.

The season kicks off Oct. 6 with a hilarious musical revue directed by Chris McCabe. “I Love You, You’re Perfect, Now Change” is a series of vignettes and songs portraying the awkwardness, complexity, truths and myths of modern love. From the quirky first date, to marriage, children and dating during the twilight years, “I Love You, You’re Perfect, Now Change” zooms in on the deeply human need for romance and connection. Performances will take place in the F. Perry Smith Studio Theatre of the Woodward D. Pealer Performing Arts Center at 7:30 p.m. on Friday and Saturday, Oct. 6 and 7, and Thursdaythrough Saturday, Oct. 12 to 14, with a 2 p.m. matinee on Oct. 7.

The next fall performance, “Seussical Jr.” is a musical extravaganza featuring characters created by the celebrated Dr. Seuss – Horton the Elephant, The Cat in the Hat, Gertrude McFuzz, Lazy Mayzie and a little boy with a big imagination. In this fun-for-the-family adventure directed by Mairzy Yost-Rushton, everyone’s favorite characters collide in a story about the power and magic of friendship and family. The performance will be on Saturday, Nov. 4, at 2 p.m. in the Pealer Center Drama Theatre.

Next, celebrate the holiday season with “World War II Radio Christmas,” also directed by Yost-Rushton, a 1940’s live-radio broadcast where fun jingles, live sound effects and period songs fill the airwaves between moving stories of male and female soldiers and the families and communities affected by their absence. Produced in collaboration with FSU’s own public radio station, 91.9 WFWM, this heart-warming, family-friendly production stresses the importance of coming together for the holidays. Smith Studio Theatre performances are at 7:30 p.m. on Friday and Saturday, Dec. 1 and 2, and Thursday through Saturday, Dec. 7 to 9, with matinees on Sunday, Dec. 3, and Saturday, Dec. 9, at 2 p.m.

In February, come in from the cold and warm up with the FSU Dance Company, directed by Jamie McGreevy, who will share their disciplined technique as well as their spirit and dedication to artistic excellence and innovative dance. Performances will take place in the Drama Theatre on Thursday and Friday, Feb. 15 and 16, 2018, at 7:30 p.m., with a matinee on Saturday, Feb. 17, at 2 p.m.

The next play of the season is “Harry & the Thief.” In this time-travel comedy, Jeremy, who has a doctorate in physics, blackmails and sends his cousin Mimi, a professional thief, back to 1863 in his newly constructed time machine. Her mission: to change the course of history by arming Harriet Tubman with a cache of modern-day guns. Described as an on-stage action movie meets travel comedy, “Harry & the Thief” takes an absurd look at the past while imagining a very different future. Performances take place in the Smith Studio Theatre on Thursday through Saturday, March 8 to 10, and Wednesday and Thursday, March 14 and 15, at 7:30 p.m., with a matinee on March 10 at 2 p.m.

The season wraps up with the bittersweet comedic drama “Bus Stop,” directed by William Clark. When a blizzard halts travel, strangers on a cross-country bus are forced to take refuge at a quaint Kansan roadside diner where the depths and many guises of romantic relationships quickly emerge. A worldly nightclub singer tries to escape the clumsy affections of an innocent and headstrong cowboy, a hard-drinking scholar faces his past, a naïve young server gets a first glimpse into the complexity of intimacy and the wise cafe owner and bus driver develop a secretive bond of their own. Infused with humanity and compassion, “Bus Stop” exposes the hopes, dreams and fears of love and longing. Performances will be in the Drama Theatre on Friday and Saturday, April 27 and 28, and Thursday through Saturday, May 3 to 5, at 7:30 p.m., with a matinee on April 28 at 2 p.m.

Individual ticket prices are $7 for students, $12 for senior citizens and FSU employees, and $15 for the general public. Credit and debit card purchases are accepted and can be made online at www.frostburg.edu/TheatreDance. (Click “buy tickets.”)

Season tickets for the Main Stage Season are available until Saturday, Oct. 14, for $28 for students, $48 for senior citizens and FSU employees, and $60 for the general public. For season tickets, call the Department Box Office.

For more information about the 2017-2018 season or to request a brochure, call the Theatre and Dance Box Office at 301-687-7462, Monday through Friday from 9 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. and 1:30 to 3 p.m. Also, like Theatre and Dance at FSU on Facebook.

Situated in the mountains of Allegany County, Frostburg State University is one of the 12 institutions of the University System of Maryland. FSU is a comprehensive, residential regional university and serves as an educational and cultural center for Western Maryland. For more information, visit www.frostburg.edu or facebook.com/frostburgstateuniversity. Follow FSU on Twitter @frostburgstate.

FSU is committed to making all of its programs, services and activities accessible to persons with disabilities. To request accommodations through the ADA Compliance Office, call 301-687-4102 or use a Voice Relay Operator at 1-800-735-2258.

The production runs from September 7-17, with a start time of 8 pm on Thursday, Friday and Saturday. The Sunday matinees begin at 2 pm. There will be beer tastings at the Thursday shows. Furthermore, on the second Thursday of the run, September 14, there will be no evening show. That day ONLY, "Yankee Tavern" will be at 10 am. Special group rates are available for parties of 10 or more.

Bannister is delighted to be returning to the Cumberland Theatre stage after making his debut as The Actor in last years’ production of The Woman in Black. Originally from London, England, Matt moved to Maryland in 2009. Since his return to the stage in 2014, Matt has been acting, directing and producing theatre in and around Frederick, MD.

Hailing from Frederick, MD, Feiman is thrilled to be making her Cumberland Theatre debut. Some of her regional credits include The Three Musketeers (Chesapeake Shakespeare Co.), As You Like It (Maryland Renaissance Festival),The Mousetrap (Florida Rep), One Slight Hitch (Florida Rep), Dividing the Estate (Florida Rep), Vanya and Sonia and Masha and Spike (Florida Rep).

Fruit is eager to make his debut with Cumberland Theatre. Baltimore credits include The Wild Party (Iron Crow Theatre), Rocky Horror Picture Show (Iron Crow Theatre), Alice in Wonderland (The Collaborative Theatre) and Romeo and Juliet (Chesapeake Shakespeare Company).

Wicker is also pleased to make his Cumberland Theatre debut. He has done most of his

acting in Florida and New York, where his recent credits include Inherit the Wind, Superior Donuts, and To Kill a Mockingbird. Other recent favorites include roles in My Fair Lady, Hamlet, Imagining Madoff, Yellowman, Taking Sides, and Cat on a Hot Tin Roof.

According to a representative of Cumberland Theatre, the synopsis of the play states that just when you thought you'd heard every 9/11 conspiracy theory a stranger walks into the Yankee Tavern. There inside the walls of this crumbling New York Tavern, a young couple finds themselves caught up in what might be the biggest conspiracy of them all. Steven Dietz's acclaimed and already widely produced dramatic thriller - a selection of the National New Play Network's Continued Life Project - is a fierce, funny and ultimately mind-bending work of theatrical power that grips you until the final word. What you don't know can hurt you.

There will be a special Opening Night Gala on Friday, September 8th at a cost of $25 per person. This includes a post-show party with food and beverages.

Ticket prices for the show, which is directed by Wendy Snow, are $18 adults for evening performances, $16 for adults for the matinees $12 for seniors and $10 for students. Group rates are available for parties of 10 or more.

A discussion of building a healthy local economy will lead off Frostburg State University’s symposium on “Sustaining Community and Community Wealth Building” on Friday, Sept. 15, as part of the annual Appalachian Festival. The symposium will provide the community with an opportunity to engage in productive and positive discussions about the region’s obstacles as well as its opportunities.

The event will begin at 8:30 a.m. on FSU’s Upper Quad with a presentation by Anthony Flaccavento, author of “Building a Healthy Economy From the Bottom Up.” Flaccavento is a nationally recognized sustainability thought leader who will introduce the audience to the innovators who are creating thriving, locally based economies and provide a road map for others interested in doing the same. He will demonstrate that, despite the success of local initiatives like farmers’ markets and clean energy cooperatives, true and lasting change of this type stalls without appropriate discussion and implementation of public policies that define their lasting impact. He will show how active citizens can spur essential changes, generate community capital, increase civic dialogue and foster sustainability efforts.

Following his talk, at 10 a.m., Katie Parker, a research associate at The Democracy Collaborative, will present “Community Wealth Building: Strategies That Invest in People and Place.” Her work focuses on how hospitals and health systems can leverage their business practices to support inclusive economic development. Parker is the co-author of the “Hospitals Aligned for Healthy Communities” toolkit series and conducts research on promising practices in the field of anchor institution strategies.

At 11 a.m., Mike Battle, senior vice president and chief operating officer for EA Engineering, Science and Technology, Inc., PBC, will present “Embracing Conscious Capitalism,” focusing on EA’s journey to becoming a public benefit corporation and its alignment with the company’s environmental mission, employees’ interest in supporting their communities and EA’s commitment to corporate social responsibility.

Friday’s events will also feature roundtable discussions with community leaders at noon, giving participants the opportunity to apply relevant case studies to regionally based economic development scenarios. Topics include anchor institutions, adventure capitalism and geo-tourism, local foods initiatives, co-ops and benefit corporations, Maryland State entrepreneurial opportunities and more. At 2 p.m., symposium leaders will offer an overview of the roundtable discussions and work with participants to develop a potential path for moving forward and following up on these ideas.

The symposium will conclude at 3 p.m. with a tour of what was once Brownsville, the home of Frostburg’s African-American community, on what is now the upper part of FSU’s campus. From 1927 through the 1950s, the state purchased property and homes in Brownsville to expand State Normal School No. 2, FSU’s original name.

The symposium leads up to the free festival on Saturday on FSU’s Upper Quad from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. There will be live music, games, food and more.

Situated in the mountains of Allegany County, Frostburg State University is one of the 12 institutions of the University System of Maryland. FSU is a comprehensive, residential regional university and serves as an educational and cultural center for Western Maryland. For more information, visit www.frostburg.edu or facebook.com/frostburgstateuniversity. Follow FSU on Twitter @frostburgstate.

FSU is committed to making all of its programs, services and activities accessible to persons with disabilities. To request accommodations through the ADA Compliance Office, call 301-687-4102 or use a Voice Relay Operator at 1-800-735-2258.

A book signing with Linda Sittig, author of Last Curtain Call, will be held at Main Street Books in downtown Frostburg on Saturday. September 9from 1-3 pm.

Sittig's novel is based on the actual 1894 western Allegany coal strike and chronicles a family's story of courage and determination, tragedy and enduring love. Chapters are dedicated to individual miners of the George's Creek Valley, from Frostburg to Westernport.

Main Street Books is located at 2 E. Main St. . For additional information call 301-689-5605 or e-mail
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.

Frostburg State University’s Mountain City Traditional Arts will continue its Celtic Music Series with a performance by Dublin-based folk singer Aoife Scott on Sunday, Sept. 24, at 3 p.m. at 25 E. Main St. in Frostburg. The live entertainment is free and open to the public with a suggested donation of $15.

A product of two of Ireland's most treasured singers, Frances Black and Mary Black, Scott carries on the family tradition with a sublime voice that is fragile and ethereal one minute and strong and vibrant the next. She has become an up-and-coming force on the Irish folk and traditional scene, and her evocative singing was featured on the Independent Film and Television Alliance award-winning TV series, “1916 Seachtar na Casca.”

The final act in the series will be the trio Barrule on Thursday, Oct. 19, at 7:30 p.m.

For more information, email MCTA at
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or call 301-687-8040.

Dedicated to the education, sales, documentation and perpetuation of the traditional arts in the mountain region, MCTA is a program of FSU, supported in part by the Maryland Traditions Program of the Maryland State Arts Council.

FSU is committed to making all of its programs, services and activities accessible to persons with disabilities. To request accommodations through the ADA Compliance Office, call 301-687-4102 or use a Voice Relay Operator at 1-800-735-2258.

Frostburg State University’s much-anticipated Appalachian Festival will return for its 12th year from Thursday, Sept. 14, to Saturday, Sept. 16. The free, family-friendly event brings together artists and craftspeople to celebrate all that makes the region unique – its history, culture, music, food and more – with performances, workshops, displays, discussions and activities.

The capstone of the festival is the concert, “An Evening of Appalachian Music – Old-Time, Blues and Bluegrass,” on Saturday at 7:30 p.m. at the Palace Theatre at 31 E. Main St. in Frostburg. Three masterful ensembles will be featured, including Back Porch Blues, an all-star, down-home acoustic trio consisting of the incredible guitar and vocal work of Eleanor Ellis, the blues harmonica virtuosity of Jay Summerour and the percussion talents of Eric Selby; the Critton Hollow String Band, who with fiddle, hammer dulcimer, banjo and guitar, tend a stable of songs from the first settlements of Appalachia to the best of contemporary American folk music; and The Church Sisters, a duo whose mesmerizing music chronicles their childhood with a haunting sound and bluegrass twist. Tickets are $20 for adults and $5 for FSU students and youth 18 and under. Tickets can be purchased at the door.

This year’s festival focuses on “Sustaining Community and Community Wealth Building,” featuring stories of community-based economies and socially responsible benefit corporations.

Exploration of the topic will begin Thursday with the film “Look and See: A Portrait of Wendell Berry” at 7 p.m., also at the Palace Theatre. “Look and See” is a cinematic portrait of the changing landscapes and shifting values of rural America in the era of industrial agriculture, as seen through the mind’s eye of writer, farmer and activist Wendell Berry. Afterwards, there will be a discussion of the film by organic farmer Anthony Flaccavento.

The theme of community wealth building continues Friday on FSU’s Upper Quad with the Appalachian Symposium, beginning at 8:30 a.m. with a presentation by Flaccavento, author of “Building a Healthy Economy From the Bottom Up,” who will introduce the audience to the innovators who are creating thriving, locally based economies and provide a road map for others who are interested in doing the same. Following his talk, at 10 a.m., Katie Parker, a research associate at The Democracy Collaborative, will present “Community Wealth Building: Strategies That Invest in People and Place.” Her work focuses on how hospitals and health systems can leverage their business practices to support inclusive economic development. At 11 a.m., Mike Battle, senior vice president and chief operating officer for EA Engineering, Science and Technology, Inc., PBC, will present “Embracing Conscious Capitalism,” focusing on EA’s journey to becoming a public benefit corporation and its alignment with the company’s environmental mission, employees’ interest in supporting their communities and EA’s commitment to corporate social responsibility. Friday’s events will also feature roundtable discussions with community leaders and conclude with a tour of what was once Brownsville, the home of Frostburg’s African-American community that is now part of the FSU campus.

On Saturday, the Session/Jam Tent returns again this year. Musicians of all levels can gather on the Upper Quad throughout the day and play their instruments to the tune of Appalachian genres, including bluegrass, mountain music mix, Celtic and old-time.

Also on Saturday, two stages will host a variety of musical groups from across the region. Blue Hill Bluegrass, Dearest Home, Highland Grass, Brush Creek Bluegrass, the Davis & Elkins College Appalachian Ensemble, Black Diamond Bluegrass, New Creek Station, Old Pitch, and the Barnstormers and RockCandy Cloggers will perform on the Compton stage. On the Thomas Subaru stage, the Rev. Frankie; Time Travelers; Rachel Eddy and Ken Kolodner; Cory and Heather Wharton; Sparky and Rhonda Rucker; Loretta Hummel and Paul Dix; Amy Lough Fabbri; Dakota Karper, Pete Hobbie and Steve Ritz; Jay Smar; Cathy Fink and Marcy Marxer; and Carrie and Michael Kline will appear. In addition, the Garrett Highlands Pipes and Drums and Frostburg Arion Band will perform on the grounds.

Chapel Happenings will include a Community Singalong focusing on songs of hope, peace and healing at 11:30 a.m.in Cook Chapel. Those interested in stories and music can check out Storytelling in the chapel from 12:30 to 3:15 p.m.Accomplished storytellers Adam Booth, Thomas Burnett, Katie and Otto Ross, Stas’ Ziolkowski, Jo Ann Dadisman and Ray Owen will enchant the audience with stories and lore inspired by their Appalachian upbringings. Then at 4:15 p.m., join capstone performers The Church Sisters for an interactive harmony-singing workshop.

Throughout the day, attendees can visit the Explorations Tent. Featured are Preservation Maryland, dedicated to preserving Maryland’s historic buildings, neighborhoods, landscapes and archaeological sites; Scales to Tales, an educational program using non-releasable birds of prey and reptiles; a discussion of refugee resettlement in Appalachia; Adventure Capital, an economic initiative launched through the nonprofit advocacy group Engage Mountain Maryland; the Allegany County Women’s Action Coalition, which works to help local communities thrive; and Stop the Potomac Pipeline, dedicated to stopping fracked gas from being shipped from Pennsylvania to West Virginia.

In the Folkways Tent, festivalgoers can learn how to play the dulcimer or join a dance workshop, as well as learn about smaller-scale local food production and the ballad traditions of the area.

In addition to plenty of food and entertainment for all ages, the festival will provide activities and programming specifically for children, who can enjoy an interactive performance by Grammy Award winners Cathy Fink and Marcy Marxer; join in singalongs with multi-instrumentalist Ray Owen; join the Sunnyland Band and play along on spoons, jugs, washboards and all kinds of instruments from other countries; paint goat-shaped silhouettes at the Capering Kids 4-H Goat Club display; and make traditional Appalachian toys at Hands-on Arts.

A variety of artisans are also featured throughout the festival, offering tatting, mountain dulcimers, pottery, jewelry, knitting, baskets, portrait art, nature photography, decorative gourds, fiber arts, multicultural arts, sassafras root beer, woodworking, pewter and botanical drawings. Also on the grounds are the Heishman HoneyB Hut, the Nettle Patch, the Western Maryland Chapter of the Archeological Society, Engage Mountain Maryland, Appalachian Mountain Books, Wynter’s Haven, the Frostburg Museum Association, Yellow K Records, the Allegany County Women’s Action Coalition, the Allegany and Garrett County Bird Club and the Appalachian Laboratory.

To learn more about the FSU Appalachian Festival, visit www.frostburg.edu/events/afestival or email Dr. Kara Rogers Thomas at
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.

Situated in the mountains of Allegany County, Frostburg State University is one of the 12 institutions of the University System of Maryland. FSU is a comprehensive, residential regional university and serves as an educational and cultural center for Western Maryland. For more information, visit www.frostburg.edu or facebook.com/frostburgstateuniversity. Follow FSU on Twitter @frostburgstate.

FSU is committed to making all of its programs, services and activities accessible to persons with disabilities. To request accommodations through the ADA Compliance Office, call 301-687-4102 or use a Voice Relay Operator at 1-800-735-2258.

Across the street from the Washington Monument, Frostburg State University student CJ Barnett struck up a conversation with anyone he could see in the sunlit grand hall of the Organization of American States’ main building.

The mammoth room quickly became an intimate affair as Barnett, from Elkton, Md., worked to get to know other students so he could persuade them to take his side in the discussions to come. To the strangers he met, Barnett wasn’t representing FSU. He was representing the nation of Colombia, leading the delegation in this real-world diplomatic exercise, the 2017 Washington Model Organization of American States (OAS) General Assembly for Universities.

“Talking to the people is honestly my favorite part,” the political science major said. “I’ve enjoyed every second of meeting with people from all different backgrounds, all different cultures.”

Not every student is so at ease in large social settings, but even if they have the gift of gab, they had better be prepared to speak about policy, too.

“It was a stressful nightmare,” political science major Cameron Shanton said, smiling as he recalled his first year at the Model OAS. “Slowly, you get used to it. It’s like being thrown into a massive social situation. Anyone would be uncomfortable. You have to speak in front of everyone and convince them of your viewpoint,” said the Thurmont, Md., resident.

Those nightmares quickly turn into a dream week for students. Public speaking is just one of the lessons learned during the weeklong simulation, promoting democracy through diplomacy. It’s the hallmark experience of the FSU Political Science 435 course, Model Organization of American States.

“You do everything a diplomat would do,” said A’Lexus Blue, who earned her political science degree in May. “That’s meeting with other members, talking about bilateral agreements, multilateral agreements.” The Accokeek, Md., resident said time was also required to discuss United Nations documents and merge them.

The OAS, headquartered in the nation’s capital, is the world’s longest-running regional political union, promoting democracy and defending human rights among member nations in the Western Hemisphere. The event is coordinated with the Institute for Diplomatic Dialogue in the Americas and provides a simulated environment for college students to conduct diplomatic negotiations, as well as handle a surprise crisis scenario announced during opening day.

Barnett, Blue and Shanton were joined by students Jessica Johnson Clay of Cockeysville, Md.; Omar Taylor of Salisbury, Md., who also graduated in May; and Will Woodcock of Columbia, Md.

A Mental and Social Exercise

Being book smart will serve students well at the Washington Model OAS General Assembly. That knowledge has to be expressed in a friendly and strategic way at a dais or in one-on-one chats called unmoderated caucuses. The students had their own topics of concentration in committees that deal with democratization, poverty, human rights or drugs.

Political Science Professor Dr. Joan Serafin Andorfer has been the president of the Institute for Diplomatic Dialogue in the Americas since 2000, and serves as a co-organizer of the Model OAS. FSU has sent students to the Model OAS for more than 30 years. Andorfer has witnessed students blossom at the Model OAS, realizing their dreams by solving problems on their own.

“Our students see that they have talents that they didn’t realize they had, or talents they want to acquire,” Andorfer said. “They see there is a place in the world for them to make a difference. I try to teach that in the classroom, but until they actually experience it, they really don’t see how it can be so valuable.”

Before students arrive in OAS, they spend the semester learning about the history of the country they represent, researching modern-day policies of the country, preparing draft resolutions and learning how to conduct themselves in the meetings. It all can feel abstract until a student is faced with a microphone while surrounded by hundreds of peers, having to adjust strategy on the fly.

“Studying for Colombia and the various policies isn’t the hard part,” Barnett said. “The hard part is understanding how every single other state within the OAS is going to respond.”

“If you really have great ideas, you have to be able to communicate them in a language everybody can understand,” Andorfer said. “When they get here, they realize a misplaced comma can be diabolical to what they’re trying to achieve.”

A Global Perspective

FSU students in the class are seeing already how the course and trip will help them during their next steps.

Woodcock wants to attend law school and work for a nonprofit dedicated to protecting animals. He anticipates the Model OAS experience will help him bridge divides.

“It gives you a broader range of knowledge of where people come from, what they expect and what’s expected of them,” Woodcock said. “Hopefully, that will help me interact with people from different cultures.”

Taylor, a law and society major concentrating in criminal justice, found it reassuring that students from the real Colombia indicated that he was on the right track with his resolution for judicial reform on drug use by expanding rehabilitation. He’s feeling optimistic, as he wants to go into a career involving international politics.

Situated in the mountains of Allegany County, Frostburg State University is one of the 12 institutions of the University System of Maryland. FSU is a comprehensive, residential regional university and serves as an educational and cultural center for Western Maryland. For more information, visit www.frostburg.edu or facebook.com/frostburgstateuniversity. Follow FSU on Twitter @frostburgstate.